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Nemani Nadolo of Leicester Tigers scores in the European Rugby Challenge Cup
Bayonne and Leicester Tigers battle it out on Saturday afternoon at the Stade Jean Dauger with both sides hoping to maintain their unbeaten starts to the competition.
Bayonne – who have a less than impressive home record of seven defeats in their last 10 – played out a 25-25 stalemate with Zebre on opening weekend. Leicester, meanwhile, demolished Bayonne’s fellow Top 14 rivals Brive 39-17 at Welford Road.
The first meeting between the two sides in European competition kicks-off at 21:00 local time and is available to view on FR4 and beIN SPORTS.
Match facts:
- This will be the first time that Bayonne and Leicester Tigers have met in European competition.
- Bayonne went eight games unbeaten at home in the Challenge Cup between November 2011 and December 2013 (W7, D1), since then however they have won just three of 10 home games (L7).
- Leicester Tigers lost their two away games in France last season in the Challenge Cup, a 24-17 defeat to Pau in Round 6 before a semi-final loss to Toulon (19-34).
- Bayonne duo Remy Baget (122) and Brandon Fajardo (108) were the only two players to tally 100+ metres gained in the opening round of this season’s Challenge Cup.
- Leicester’s Jasper Wiese beat six defenders on the opening weekend of this season’s Challenge Cup, only Benetton’s Monty Ioane (6) could match this.
Kini Murimurivalu scored for Leicester as they beat Bayonne in the European Rugby Challenge Cup
Leicester Tigers recorded their second victory in this season’s European Rugby Challenge Cup as they battled to a deserved victory over a gutsy Bayonne side in Round 2.
Leicester were in control for large spells of the first half, with Tommy Reffell and Cameron Henderson both scoring tries either side of Zack Henry penalty.
Bayonne stayed in touch with the Tigers though, with full-back Gaetan Germain slotting two penalties, before the French side reduced the deficit further on the stroke of half time thanks to a Hugo Zabalza score.
FULL-TIME | Tigers hold firm to claim their second win in the #ChallengeCupRugby with a 20-28 victory over Bayonne. #ABvLEI pic.twitter.com/SpPaExXwDm
— Leicester Tigers (@LeicesterTigers) December 19, 2020
Early in the second half Henry nudged two further penalties over the Bayonne posts, before full-back Kini Murimurivalu extended Leicester’s commanding lead with a try on the hour mark.
Andrei Gorin scored for Bayonne with just over ten minutes remaining as the hosts refused to roll over, but Leicester held on for a well-earned victory, ensuring they maintained their 100% record at the start of this season’s European Rugby Challenge Cup.
The two sides will face off again in Round 3, with Bayonne making the trip Leicester’s Welford Road.
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